Training audience of the international Exercise Iron Wolf 2019-II organized by the Mechanized Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf that began earlier this week have successfully assembled in training sights over the course of two days via Lithuanian roads. The main parts of the training audience -the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group, Grand Duchess Birutė Uhlan Battalion, and Algirdas Mechanised Infantry Battalion with assigned Lithuanian and NATO allies' units - have set up temporary assembly areas at the Lithuanian Armed Forces General Silvestras Žukauskas Training Area in Pabradė and territories of unused former factories near and begun preparing for offensive and defensive operations that will soon begin.
The phase will be carried out according to "force on force" principle where one part of the training audience are acting as the offensive force and the other - as the defensive, and thus defensive and offensive actions are trained. It will allow the exercise to be as realistic as possible.
The exercise is also attended by soldiers from other units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, as well as units from 11 other NATO countries and Ukraine, assigned to the main training battalions. Soldiers of different countries are carrying out force integration in preparation for the defensive and offensive operations - rehearsing joint operations, planning, communications procedures, force protections actions.
The international Exercise Iron Wolf 2019-II will evaluate readiness of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group based in Rukla to plan and carry out defensive operations in coordination with the MIB Iron Wolf Staff, to evaluate readiness of Birutė and Algirdas Battalions to plan and carry out defence and interoperability while conducting joint operations with allies and partners. The exercise trains the total of nearly 4,000 soldiers.
Information and photo credits: Lithuanian Armed Forces
